Hello! My nickname is Otter, and I'm 29 years old dealing with Androgenetic Alopecia. I think it started really soon after puberty, and has just gradually gotten worse. I remember being in 9th grade and having some kid in Home Ec class start taunting me about it. Having low self-esteem to begin with, that was basically just the start of a downward spiral.

In college, my mother set up an appointment with this dermatologist who was supposed to be an expert in the field of hair loss. He was so sought-after, in fact, that I had to wait a year for my appointment. By the time it came, I was so excited. Finally, I thought, someone is going to be able to help me!

Instead, I spent 15 minutes filling out paperwork, answering those questions with the nurse, waiting in a room for ano...